Writing has always been a first in my life, but after some revelatory moments during my brief post-graduate career, I’ve come to embrace the world of web and graphic design as a second medium for creative expression. As a writer and a web designer, I’m expected to be at my most creative on a near-daily basis, which can stretch a person too thin if the right balance isn’t achieved between projects and lifestyles. To be creative is to be—in part—productive, and the purpose of this blog is to show how possible and fulfilling it is to enhance productivity and strengthen creativity while being a published author and a successful web designer.

I’ve found in my personal and professional life that social media platforms and networks are most beneficial when it comes to finding others who share similar interests and hobbies as you. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I briefly interviewed fellow writer and longtime college friend Derek Smith, whose answers capture a glimpse of the how and why of social media engagement.

I first asked Derek what social media channels he uses that are related to his interest(s), and he listed a number of popular websites that most people use today, like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, in addition to others that appealed to smaller audiences in recent past but are currently gaining steam, such as Pinterest and DevianArt.

When asked how much time he spent each week on these websites exploring or discussing these interests, he answered, “I spend whatever time I have free, which can range from most evenings to the entire weekend.”

When I asked him how he engaged others—i.e. friends, followers, enthusiasts—to participate and share their own content regarding their shared interests, I half-expected what my friend of five years would say, since we engage in the same activities on Facebook and YouTube.

“I tend not to engage unless requested or felt needed to,” he said. “Most of the time I just observe and acknowledge people’s content.”

I found this to be very true, especially for content about movies, fiction writing, and anime, which he shares frequently but rarely comments on himself. However, he does share information about local art events and writing resources for others if they choose to use them.

I asked him how this level of social media engagement benefitted him, to which he replied, “It helps me with keeping contact with friends.”

And what about how it benefitted his audience? “They see my lack of bias and feel comfortable with discussing anything with me,” he said.

While Derek may not be the one to engage much when it comes to getting others to share content or criticism, his frequent sharing of content and information does spark activity from time to time. Not only have I witnessed this myself, but I also participate in it by either “liking” a meme he shared on Facebook or watching a video he posted on his YouTube channel.

For the record, this interview was conducted via Facebook Messenger.

—

So what do you think? How do you use social media to engage others on common interests and hobbies? Feel free to comment below and share your thoughts on the topic. Thanks for reading!

“What is art if not visual poetry?” I couldn’t agree more with Emily Gosling, author of the latest article from Creative Boom. In it, she describes the creative process of the artist Robert Perkins and his collaborative efforts with contemporary poets of the 20th century. His artworks, which range from paintings to collages, feature a single defining work of poetry from famous writers such as Seamus Heaney, Robert Lowell, and Allen Ginsberg. Some of his art also features less-known poets like Claire Cube and David Whyte, but by joining his illustrations with their written work, he introduces those poets to new and appreciative audiences.

Whether your favorite poet is featured or not (several of my favorites are present), it’s worth viewing each artwork and taking in Perkins’s vision for both art and the written word. As Gosling mentions early on, art is visual poetry, but I would add to the idea that poetry is language at its most aesthetic. Poetry is known for its appeal to the senses—the way words sound and produce song against one another, the architectural alignment of lines and stanzas, how the language and meaning of a poem seems to course down the page from start to finish. In essence, poetry is the best of literature’s great designs, and so much more can be learned from poetry when joined with the “visual vocabulary” of Perkins’s artwork.